Fla. cap & trade program to be endorsed by Gov. Crist's advisers?

Gov. Charlie Crist's Action Team on Energy and Climate Change holds its final series of meetings starting today in Tallahassee. The advisory panel is putting the finishing touches on its latest report to Crist, due Oct. 15. The agenda for this week's two-day meeting calls for a discussion of whether Florida should join other states in a cap-and-trade program.

One option: Joining the ten Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states that form the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or Reggie for short. Reggie just conducted its first auction of carbon credits, as the Fueling Station reported earlier this week. That sale brought in $38.5-million which the states plan  plan to invest the funds in energy efficient and renewable technologies as well as programs to benefit utility rate payers.

Another option: Join the newly announced Western Climate Initiative, or WCI (sorry, no catchy nickname.) That one has the advantage of pairing Crist up with his fellow climate crusader from the GOP, former action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, a.k.a. California's Governator (shown here with Crist last year).

Fueling Station readers may recall that the big difference between Reggie and WCI is that Reggie focuses only on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, while the Western plan would include transportation, too, since that's the largest source of greenhouse gases there. The other big difference: Reggie is up and running, while WCI is still in the planning stages.

There is a third option: "Explore the creation of a Southern regional climate initiative to reduce GHG emissions." But that would mean starting from scratch, and joining forces with two states that Florida is currently battling with regarding water.

No matter what else they recommend, though, the Action Team's members are likely to urge Crist to lobby Congress to create a national cap-and-trade program. To read the Action Team's draft report on Florida cap-and-trade possibilities, click here: Download DraftCapAndTrade.pdf

[Photo: Getty Images]

--Craig Pittman

Comments

How can cap and trade meaningfully reduce carbon pollution if it doesn't include transportation.

[paminator]

"the states plan plan to invest the funds in energy efficient and renewable technologies as well as programs to benefit utility rate payers."

This statement is contradictory. Renewable energy increases prices to utility rate payers. Unless you consider increased prices a 'benefit' for rate payers!

A fourth option exists. Do not participate in cap-and-trade nonsense. It has no measurable effect on climate, sea level, draughts, hurricanes, polar bears,...